Naoko Rodgers

A Japanese-born, Gold Coast-based Naoko Rodgers is behind dots and lines 10 to 1000. She works predominantly in stoneware high temperature functional tableware and home décor. Naoko is passionate about her hand building techniques such as pinch, coil and slab form to make imperfections and unique pieces. She also uses underglaze and oxides frequently in her work to make playful pieces. The black outline work is one of her signature designs. Naoko focuses on how she enjoys making pottery because she believes that this feeling of joy transfers to the people who touch her finished pieces. Pottery is the art of chemistry and she loves the combination of predictable and unpredictable parts of her own designs.

“I am attracted by the simple continuous patterns as you can see with my brand name dots and lines 10 to 1000. I predominantly use underglaze and oxides for my designs with multiple techniques such as sgraffito, wax resist, use masking tape, paper transfers on leather hard, bone dry or bisque wares before the glaze firing. Drawing with underglaze pencils and crayons on the bisque ware adds more layers to my finished products. I can not resist applying something if there is a white canvas there. Another preferred method of slab inlay is the use of multiple clay bodies into one another for graphical surface decoration. You get interesting patterns and textures on your pieces. I focus on the balance as it is important in anything. I picture rough images of the desired piece first but sometimes it ends up completely different from what I have imagined. I then let it be and follow what my hands wants to make. I’m always happy to follow plan B. I want my pieces to be visually captivating and also functional. I also keep in mind that the pieces have multiple characters with any angle you look at it. I like making my pieces that can’t be replicated. That theory keeps me busy to make new lines and that way I could learn more and discover a new me”.